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Hey kidz,
I guess a lot of you know composer György Ligeti died on June 12, 2006. I found a webzine that had a bunch of vintage interviews with him at http://home.grandecom.net/~jronsen/mmpp9/mmpp9contents.html
I just did an interview mainly about xo & Lost Kisses at http://jazmaonline.com/interviews/interviews2.asp?intID=344
Below are some recent reviews of Alan Sparhawk, Lycia, Lost Kisses, & xo.
Thank you all for your continued interest & support, it means a lot to us.
hrt
Brian John Mitchell
Brian John Mitchell
ALAN SPARHAWK: SOLO GUITAR
It’s exactly as the title says – Sparhawk of Low playing guitar. Simple, right? And amazing – his guitar burns through the air, sometimes creating waves built of empty space and sometimes searing like Eddie Van Halen’s (an allusion made concrete through his cover of “Eruption”).
~ Dave Heaton, The Big Takeover
It’s exactly as the title says – Sparhawk of Low playing guitar. Simple, right? And amazing – his guitar burns through the air, sometimes creating waves built of empty space and sometimes searing like Eddie Van Halen’s (an allusion made concrete through his cover of “Eruption”).
~ Dave Heaton, The Big Takeover
LYCIA: THE BURNING CIRCLE AND THEN DUST
A package in the mail from Silber is beginning to be quite a promising event! This time it’s the re-issued and remastered version of Lycia’s The Burning Circle and Then Dust, the second installment in the Lycia reissue series. The first noticeable difference between the original pressing and this one is that we have one disc instead of two. The second, related noticeable difference is that some songs are missing. A whopping EIGHT songs. This could definitely have fans scratching their heads, even running for the hills in disgust, but hardcore Lycia fans — “In VanPortfleet We Trust” — will give it a listen. And they’ll find this reissue is absolutely amazing!
Basically this is a remastered version of disc one of the original pressing, with some drum intros cut out — in hindsight, they did seem a bit unnecessary and the omission benefits the overall flow — and a few songs from the second disc salvaged. Don’t get me wrong, the songs that weren’t included on the disc are DEFINITELY missed. As the album is now though, knowing that this was the original vision of the band, it’s forgivable: The album is now a more solidified entity; a singular, natural progression. The songs that were salvaged from the second disc were some of the best off that particular disc (although they did not include “The Burning Circle,” which didn’t deserve to be axed.) You will still hear the inimitable mid-range, seductive wisp of Tara VanFlower (who seemed to take to a higher register after this album, strangely) on “Nimble” and “Surrender,” the former being one of my all-time favorite Lycia opuses. You will also hear the brilliant, bright “Nine Hours Later” and the reflective and somber “Resigned.”
What Mike VanPortfleet did to the overall sound is similar to how he remixed and remastered 1998’s Estrella album: A great wash of ’verb, a newfound warmth to the bass, and the vocals being pushed a bit back to blend — but somehow they’re much clearer than on the original version! Unreal.
So, Lycia fans, I understand how you could be skeptical. Please take my word for it, and the band’s too. Play both versions back to back, even. I almost guarantee you’ll be very very happy with this. By no means get rid of your original version, but this is as essential in your collection as any Lycia release. Every time I hear this, I feel like I’m floating along in the best place on earth. Not that I know where that is, but one thing’s for sure, this would be playing there.
~ Cody Maillet, Twoblock.net
A package in the mail from Silber is beginning to be quite a promising event! This time it’s the re-issued and remastered version of Lycia’s The Burning Circle and Then Dust, the second installment in the Lycia reissue series. The first noticeable difference between the original pressing and this one is that we have one disc instead of two. The second, related noticeable difference is that some songs are missing. A whopping EIGHT songs. This could definitely have fans scratching their heads, even running for the hills in disgust, but hardcore Lycia fans — “In VanPortfleet We Trust” — will give it a listen. And they’ll find this reissue is absolutely amazing!
Basically this is a remastered version of disc one of the original pressing, with some drum intros cut out — in hindsight, they did seem a bit unnecessary and the omission benefits the overall flow — and a few songs from the second disc salvaged. Don’t get me wrong, the songs that weren’t included on the disc are DEFINITELY missed. As the album is now though, knowing that this was the original vision of the band, it’s forgivable: The album is now a more solidified entity; a singular, natural progression. The songs that were salvaged from the second disc were some of the best off that particular disc (although they did not include “The Burning Circle,” which didn’t deserve to be axed.) You will still hear the inimitable mid-range, seductive wisp of Tara VanFlower (who seemed to take to a higher register after this album, strangely) on “Nimble” and “Surrender,” the former being one of my all-time favorite Lycia opuses. You will also hear the brilliant, bright “Nine Hours Later” and the reflective and somber “Resigned.”
What Mike VanPortfleet did to the overall sound is similar to how he remixed and remastered 1998’s Estrella album: A great wash of ’verb, a newfound warmth to the bass, and the vocals being pushed a bit back to blend — but somehow they’re much clearer than on the original version! Unreal.
So, Lycia fans, I understand how you could be skeptical. Please take my word for it, and the band’s too. Play both versions back to back, even. I almost guarantee you’ll be very very happy with this. By no means get rid of your original version, but this is as essential in your collection as any Lycia release. Every time I hear this, I feel like I’m floating along in the best place on earth. Not that I know where that is, but one thing’s for sure, this would be playing there.
~ Cody Maillet, Twoblock.net
For Silber records, it's a dream come true. The label always wanted to release records from Lycia, as the ambient-goth act has been a huge influence for Silber as well as artists already on the roster. For those familiar with the label or those artists, Lycia will be an excellent introduction and transition to one of the standards of the style. And The Burning Circle is an essential work from the band. If you were ever unhappy with the Cocteau Twin's less dark ethereal rock, Lycia fills the void for sure. Only complaint is that Tara Van Flower should have sang more. You know it.
~ Kenyon Hopkin, Advance Copy
~ Kenyon Hopkin, Advance Copy
LOST KISSES
This is a tiny stick figure comic that is pretty funny at times. We follow a stickman's thoughts on physical and emotional scars relating to a past love, his job, and silly tangents. The size is a bit too small, as I found it springing out of my hands while reading. I think this unexpected action actually added to the comedy of the mini. Though it may not be a life-altering read it's worth a quick laugh.
~ Deviant Art
This is a tiny stick figure comic that is pretty funny at times. We follow a stickman's thoughts on physical and emotional scars relating to a past love, his job, and silly tangents. The size is a bit too small, as I found it springing out of my hands while reading. I think this unexpected action actually added to the comedy of the mini. Though it may not be a life-altering read it's worth a quick laugh.
~ Deviant Art
LOST KISSES & XO
I can't believe this! These comics are about the size of my thumb!! Also, they are easy to read, the characters are stick figures (except for one) and there is some good comedy and some intense human drama in these mini-comics. The writer may be doing a semi-biographical satire about his life in one of the comic books, like the Halloween Craptacular, in which the character was dressed up as R2-D2, a pumpkin, a hobo and the events that surrounded his dressing up in these various costumes. Our main character gets in trouble with the police for doing a toilet paper event at the elementary school, via an idea his sister came up with. In XO, we have violence and some good artwork by Melissa Spence Gardner. The story is about a so-called hit man, who kills his co-worker's girlfriend and then winds up killing his co-worker. The artwork is pretty good and the story is horrificaly scary! The premiere issue deals with scars of the past, a tattoo of a girl's name that he wants to remove, so he doesn't have to think about her anymore and this premiere issue has stick figures. In Lost Kisses #2, there is talk of a friend who died, their relationship together, sneaking into movies, substance abuse, sharing the love of Star Wars together and now this friend is dead. Human drama told in a tiny format! Tiny fun reads that has human drama, human horror, human fragilities, human humor. This is something totally different, check out their website!
~ Paul Dale Roberts, jazmaonline
I can't believe this! These comics are about the size of my thumb!! Also, they are easy to read, the characters are stick figures (except for one) and there is some good comedy and some intense human drama in these mini-comics. The writer may be doing a semi-biographical satire about his life in one of the comic books, like the Halloween Craptacular, in which the character was dressed up as R2-D2, a pumpkin, a hobo and the events that surrounded his dressing up in these various costumes. Our main character gets in trouble with the police for doing a toilet paper event at the elementary school, via an idea his sister came up with. In XO, we have violence and some good artwork by Melissa Spence Gardner. The story is about a so-called hit man, who kills his co-worker's girlfriend and then winds up killing his co-worker. The artwork is pretty good and the story is horrificaly scary! The premiere issue deals with scars of the past, a tattoo of a girl's name that he wants to remove, so he doesn't have to think about her anymore and this premiere issue has stick figures. In Lost Kisses #2, there is talk of a friend who died, their relationship together, sneaking into movies, substance abuse, sharing the love of Star Wars together and now this friend is dead. Human drama told in a tiny format! Tiny fun reads that has human drama, human horror, human fragilities, human humor. This is something totally different, check out their website!
~ Paul Dale Roberts, jazmaonline
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